Spark
by betterlove
Summary: Eret can't help but notice how simple, yet tight, Hiccup and Astrid's relationship seems. And when he thinks about whatever it is he and Ruffnut apparently share, he realises he needs to stop distancing himself and be more natural about it.


**Author's Notes:** I'm back with another story. Not much romance in this but we're getting there. Hope you all enjoy it.

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**Spark **

There was a lot of refurbishing to do in Berk.

A _lot_. After the whole Bewilderbeast fiasco there were buildings to rebuild, debris to be cleaned, ice to be cleared and of course, many homes to create for their new inhabitants. But Berk was very used to rebuilding. And now, after so many changes to the island and the people, they began to improve rather than just merely rebuild. Why just redo a building when you could make it _better_? Dragon-proofing everything had become a fine art that the Vikings of Berk had practically mastered. And so they didn't see the destruction as something to despair over, more as something to expand upon. After all, Berk was home no matter what; and they could only make it better from here.

Most everyone was willing to help. Whether it be cleaning or gathering supplies or rebuilding or tending to the farms animals or tending to – and cleaning up after – the dragons and the list just went on. Even the children helped out.

Eret was more than happy to lend a hand. He liked keeping busy. Because being busy from building and cleaning didn't require much thinking into the long-term future. Between looking after Skullcrusher, helping out the Vikings and receiving lessons from the Dragon Riders, his schedule was full.

Didn't look like he was leaving anytime soon.

Not that he'd really _want_ to. He quite liked Berk. Though the inhabitants were large, loud and rather violent Vikings, they were surprisingly much better company than he'd had in the past. Despite being very physical people, those of Berk enjoyed a good laugh and were all very deeply connected to one another, woven into one large and complicated family. Their love for their families and friends and dragons was unfathomable to Eret. He wasn't used to seeing people so close to each other. People he had associated with in the past had multiple wives and cared not for their children. Here on Berk, love wasn't something easily taken for granted and no child seemed to be left behind.

Eret had never found such a homey place in all his travels. Sure, it was a little rough around the edges and quite crazy at times, but life in Berk was_ amazing_.

Though it was a Sunday, there was still work to be done. So Eret forced himself out of bed as the sun rose, sweeping across the island and soaking everything in the harsh, unforgiving morning light. Temporary living arrangements had been set up in some of the dragon stables for those who'd lost their homes and also to the new arrivals. And when Eret woke, it seemed most of his men and the other Vikings were ready up. Well, he'd never been much of a morning person.

After he was dressed, he took Skullcrusher for a lovely breakfast of raw fish while he helped himself to a bowl of hot porridge and some eggs. Once they were both done he let the dragon take the day off while he went to meet up with the others. He had another long day ahead of him.

Only they couldn't start right away. Because the Chief hadn't shown up yet. But of course, they all assumed he had perfectly good reasons. It wasn't like he had accidentally slept in or gone for quick morning flight with Toothless or decided to mess around with his girlfriend for a while longer. Just like all those other times.

But in all seriousness, nobody got angry with their Chief for being late; or for anything really. In fact, most tiptoed around him. Hiccup had been through his fair share of crises recently and nobody would blame him if he needed a day off. After all, being suddenly thrown into managing a whole village would have certainly been overwhelming for such a young man. Or anybody.

Eret knew, however, that Hiccup did not _like_ being tiptoed around – it made him feel like he was doing a lousy job. And Astrid had also pulled him to the side and asked him to treat her boyfriend the way he normally would, without being too insensitive. The only problem was he didn't know _how_ he normally acted around Hiccup. He hadn't been on Berk that long and hadn't had that much time to just interact with the Chief.

Hiccup arrived after fifteen minutes of waiting from the others.

"Ah, _here_ he is!" Gobber declared, crossing his arms. "Our Chieftain has finally arrived."

When Hiccup hastily, and almost clumsily, hurried over to them, Eret didn't just politely greet him like the rest. He rested a hand on his hip and arched a brow slyly. "Good morning, Chief." Eret called, eyeing the young man's ruffed hair and breathlessness. It seems his girlfriend is the reason for his lateness once more. "How nice of you to join us."

Hiccup lifted his head, looking rather sheepish but still smiled. Eret could see the appreciation in his eyes; he was glad _someone_ was able to joke with him. "Uh, hey. Sorry I'm late everyone... I was..." he quickly decided to just not finish and instead clapped his hands together. "Now, we're rebuilding those houses today right?"

Gobber turned to where he was pointing. "Those would be the ones."

"Alright, good. We've made a lot of process so far. Let's try and keep it up."

The older man nodded. "I have a few suggestions, you know, for areas of improvement and whatnot. I was thinking we could start with removing all the..."

It was interesting working with such eccentric people such as Gobber and Hiccup. Eret found it fascinating how they could roll with anything; they were able to problem solve when things got complicated. They found value in the quirkiest things, even in debris and ice sharps. People like Gobber and Hiccup could be inspired by anything. They had big plans for all the rebuilding they were doing. They saw endless possibilities and certainly did not believe in words such as impossible or un-doable. All day as they worked away, their two minds ticked with ideas and plans.

As the sun reached its highest point in the sky, stomachs began to growl in chorus.

"Well," Gobber said as he rolled his shoulders back, stretching, "I think we've all deserved this lunch break."

Hiccup nodded. "Alright, fellas, why don't we head up to the Great Hall and—,"

"Hiccup!"

The Chief lifted his head and was assaulted with a pair of lips. Astrid. Once she broke away, she laughed at his stunned expression and jabbed him in the ribs. "You just rushed out without even saying goodbye this morning." She accused, her voice light and teasing.

"Oh, right, sorry." Hiccup lowered his head to meet her height. "Will lunch make up for it, honey?"

Astrid stroked her chin thoughtfully. "I dunno..."

He shook his head, grinning at his girlfriend. "Come on," he slipped his arm around her waist, "let's go. They're serving your favourite today."

"Yak soup?"

"Well, I _did_ say they're serving your favourite, didn't I?"

Eret had never seen a couple so in sync. They were so designed for one another. But not in a lovey-dovey, completely sickening sort of way. More of a very close companionship. They were perfectly capable of functioning without one another by they they _were_ with one another... they just made it look so _easy_.

"Well, hell-_o_, handsome."

_I know that voice..._

Eret looked up and saw Ruffnut strolling over to him, all hooded eyes and what he supposed was supposed to be a seductive grin. "On your lunch break?"

"I'm just about to head over to the Great Hall, yes."

He saw the way her eyes lit up and suppressed a groan. Ruffnut was infuriatingly _persistent_. When she found out he was going to be staying, her fixation on him began once more in the hopes of potentially being able to win him over. It wasn't that he didn't like her, though. She was fine company, in _small_ doses of course. He just wasn't used to the extreme personalities of most of the Vikings on Berk. Also they had made a pretty awkward first impression and he had originally been rather disturbed by her.

Ruffnut, however, had changed her tactics since then and was trying her best to hold back. She was polite enough and he was polite back but it just... _lingered_ at that. He knew Ruffnut was trying not to frighten him off. Whether or not that was working he wasn't quite sure of yet.

"Mind if I join you?"

It was always the same question. And he said yes. Reluctantly at first since he felt bad for the first few rejections. But he didn't mind after a while because they ended up sitting with their friends and didn't really interact much because of that.

But today he and the others were on a tight schedule and only had time for a small break. "Can't today, love – in a bit of a rush." He said indifferently, sidestepping around her and heading towards the Great Hall.

Ruffnut pouted, shoulders slumping for a moment. She quickly recovered and grabbed his forearm. "At least let me walk with you." She offered all too eagerly.

Eret did groan this time and shook her off. "I do not have _time_ for you today."

Though he didn't notice at first, something in the blonde's expression and body language fell despairingly. "Ugh, why don't you like me?" Ruffnut moaned in rejection. "Is it because I'm not pretty enough?"

Eret sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look," he met her gaze once more, "I think you're very..."

He trailed off. Huh. He hadn't really looked at her before. Not properly. And honestly, when he was looking at her, it was with disgust – she was overbearingly _touchy_ and it just made him rather uncomfortable. But now, with no chaos around them, no good verses bad, no impending doom, he could really get a good look at her.

_She has nice eyes, I supposed. They're very, uh, blue._ He wouldn't tell her but he used to have a thing with girls and blue eyes. Not so much now, but still, they were pretty eyes.

_Yeah, alright, her lips were nice too._ They were thin and curled up into a large smile. Playful.

He really liked her hair. They way she braided it was quite interesting and it was, oh, so _long_. He briefly wondered what she might look like with it all down but that thought vanished as he finished scanning over her features.

Overall she had a sort of awkward, rough beauty to her. She wasn't outstandingly gorgeous; she had her lovely imperfections, as most everyone did. He supposed there was nothing overly exceptional about her. But ordinary certainly wasn't a bad thing. Because when you stare at ordinary long enough, it begins to shape your perspective and allows you to see the hidden beauty of everything. Ordinary was simply so phenomenally breath-taking, it disguised itself as what others thought of as plain.

He cleared his throat, not wanting the silence to last any longer. "I do think you're pretty, or whatever. But that wouldn't have anything to do with whether or not I like you."

Ruffnut's shoulders slumped further. "It wouldn't? Well, what _else_ would it be?" She grimaced. "I don't think I have a good personality."

"How do you know?"

She kicked at the dirt. "I dunno. What kind of personality do you like?"

Eret couldn't help but chuckle at that. She was still trying so hard. "You know, I don't actually know what your personality is. Who knows, I could like it."

She suddenly and so genuinely lit up, hope flickering back into her eyes once more. He said too much, led her on once more. Great. "Oh? Really?" She took a step towards him.

He, however, took a step back. Distancing himself once more. And right after he did, he watched the hope drain from her expression once more. _And yet, it still doesn't seem like she's going to give up._

"I'm sorry..." She mumbled lowly. "I'm being too forward, aren't I?"

"Just a little..." He muttered, looking past her.

Once again, he could see Hiccup and Astrid, this time making their way back from the Great Hall. The young Chief was balancing a bowl in his hand while his girlfriend held his arm. All smiles and laughter. It just seemed so natural for them.

"What are you looking at?" Ruffnut turned her head and saw the couple. "Oh... those two."

"I was just... admiring their relationship."

She watched the way the couple laughed at one another. And the way Hiccup dipped his head to kiss Astrid's temple. And how she playfully elbowed him. Ruffnut always knew Astrid would end up with the best guy on Berk. (Though she didn't expect that to ever be Hiccup.) Don't get her wrong, she secretly admired Astrid so much; she was so damn determined and fierce but lovable in her own way. And gorgeous, especially as she got older and grew into her features. Everything about Astrid was amazing. She totally deserved Hiccup – they deserved each other.

"Yeah... they're really lucky..."

Eret nodded. "They certainly are."

Ruffnut shifted her attention back to the man standing in front of her, eyes narrowing. "So is that it...? I'm not _good enough_ for you? What do you want? What am I _not_ doing right?"

"You're not doing anything _wrong!_" Eret snapped, his voice loosing it's usual charm and smoothness. "This has nothing to do with you. My affairs are my business, Ruffnut."

She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms sulkily. "I just want you to like me."

He suppressed a groan, closing his eyes and pursing his lips. Why was this all so _difficult?_ Why couldn't this be more like Astrid and Hiccup's relationship – where nothing was forced or awkward?

_Wait, do I really think of this as a relationship? _No._ Yes? We're friends... well, sort of._

Oh. Maybe she wasn't the one trying too hard. Maybe _he_ was. He was trying too hard to distance himself. Yes, Ruffnut a little frustrating and awkward and too touchy at times but she wasn't a bad person. In fact, it was kind of nice to have someone want to impress him instead of the other way around. And he knew how tiresome it got when you weren't taking seriously. He needed to stop acting so cold and just be _natural_. Maybe if he acknowledged her advances, she wouldn't be so forward. And just maybe, he may even enjoy spending a little time with her. He would just have to see how it goes.

"Look," Eret said, holding a hand to his chest, "I'm sorry for snapping. I didn't mean to upset you."

She raised her head, lips curling into a smile. Was he being nice? "Oh, hey, it's okay. I guess I'm sorry for being so... uh, creepy."

He chuckled lowly. "Yeah, well, I know..." he exhaled, "I know your intentions are good. I think."

Ruffnut's smile grew into a grin. She was about to reply but they were interrupted.

"Eret!" Hiccup called,waving one hand and holding a bowl in the other. "Break's over. I brought you some soup. Are you coming to help or not?"

Eret sighed. "I have to go."

Ruffnut pouted. "Aw, but I just started actually_ talking_ to you!"

"Okay, okay, we–we can talk later." Without thinking, he leant forward and pecked her cheek before he began walking over to the Chief. He suddenly stopped, realising what he'd done. Had he just kissed her cheek? Oh, Gods, he _had._ What was he thinking? That was certainly uncalled for.

Eret pursed his lips, turning his head to back to Ruffnut. She was standing there, still in shock, her fingers resting against her flushed cheek. It was definitely worth admitting that he supposed she did look pretty adorable looking so stunned.

Their eyes met. For a short moment there was an infinite connection between the two. As Eret stared into her eyes he was able to watch something ignite. Small and wild. A flicker, barely aflame, swimming in blue. In the glow of the flame, he could see his own eyes reflecting that same flame, that flicker.

A Spark. Small but holding the potential to be wild and bold and maybe even quite beautiful.

Was this spark something he wanted to keep aflame?

He pivoted his body so he was facing her once more. "I'll see you later, love."

Ruffnut lifted her other hand to wave at him. "Uh, yeah, bye."

Perhaps she wasn't so bad after all.

He saw the smirk on Hiccup's face when he reached him. "Well, well, what was all _that_ about?"

Eret shrugged. "Not sure, to be honest." He paused, resting a hand on his hip and smiling wryly at the Chief. "I just went with the flow, I suppose."

Hiccup raised his brows but didn't bother questioning it. He merely handed the bowl of soup to Eret and patted his shoulder. "Come on, eat that and we'll get back to work."

Eret nodded and the two off them walked off.

Meanwhile, Ruffnut was still standing in the same spot.

_I do not want to ever wash my cheek again!_

He kissed her! Oh the cheek but still – he kissed her! That perfect hunk of spunk_ kissed her cheek_. So he didn't hate her? He maybe even potentially liked her a little? It wasn't much but it was better than nothing.

Ruffnut sighed dreamily and brushed down her tunic. She headed off towards home.

Her plan was to go to bed now – yes, at lunchtime – because the sooner she went to sleep, the sooner she could dream of Eret.


End file.
